Chrystia Freeland defends $1.3-million home purchase

With the Ottawa Citizen’s Glenn McGregor reporting on Friday that Chrystia Freeland and her husband recently bought a $1.3-million townhouse in Toronto’s distinctly upper-class Summerhill neighborhood, it was only a matter of time before the Toronto-Centre Liberal candidate was asked how she reconciled that with her and the party’s ‘struggling middle-class’ mantra.

It was one of the first questions asked Tuesday in the Toronto-Centre riding, where Freeland was joined by Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.

Though it was really more of a statement:

“Ms. Freeland, you say you’re an advocate for the middle class. I’d like you to explain how you could possibly relate to the middle class when you recently purchased a $1.3-million dollar home in Toronto’s most prestigious neighbourhood.”

Freeland began her defence by reiterating — “as was reported” — that if it weren’t for her father’s financial support, a mortgage wouldn’t have been possible.

After all, she added, the family farm is standing as collateral.

Then, however, she took a different tack.

“I’m never going to apologize for having had a successful international career, and I’m not going to apologize for buying a home for my family in Toronto Centre. I’m proud of those things,” she said.

“For me, concern for middle class Canadians is about being sure that people can have the opportunities that I had — the scholarships I had. I went to Canadian public schools. I had scholarships that supported me at some of the world’s greatest universities…I think those paths are much, much harder for Canadians today.”